Things Fall Apart
by theeShadyLady
Summary: Leslie in her last moments... "I never needed a present, he was enough. But he didn't know that. And now he never will..." and what becomes of Jess after tragedy strikes... "I loved her. I really did. And she never knew."
1. When the Water Ran Red

**_A/N- Hey everyone, I'm theeShadyLady bringing to you this fic called "Things Fall Apart." This is my first non-Hunger Games fic, so I hope you like it._** **Leslie POV.**

**_((DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bridge to Terabithia.))_**

Chapter 1: "When the Water Ran Red"

"Jess?" I call hesitantly looking down at the raging water below. I doubt he would have come here without me, _but maybe he got up early today. We haven't been to Terabithia in a few days, so he was probably in a hurry to get here._ I use a branch to pull the rope swing over to my side of the river.

Once I have the rope, I give it a good tug just to make sure it's still strong. And then I take hold of it, jump forward, and swing. The first time I reach the opposite edge I don't let go of the rope, I lean my head back looking up at the sky. I remember the first time Jess and I came here and he was afraid to cross the creek. _He tried not to show it, but I could tell. I can always tell_. The water must be really high because I can feel my hair dragging through it.

"Jess?!" I shout again after I jump off the swing onto the opposite side of the creek. I run through the woods at top speed, calling his name. It's been raining, so the ground is soft and I slip a lot. But that doesn't slow me down. When I reach our fort I realize he's really not here. I also notice that Terabithia is extremely quiet. Not one of the Terabithians are making a sound, or are even in sight.

_They must sense the absence of their king. I need to find him. I miss–I mean–we miss him._

I start running back towards the creek, I feel like I'm running slower than usual. But that might be because I am used to Jess running right beside me (well, behind me).

As soon as I have hold of the rope I thrust myself forward, close my eyes, and hold my head back feeling the water splash my hair. But then I feel too much water. I feel it on my face, my clothes, and my arms. My eyes snap open and the last thing I see is a small section of rope still hanging from the tree. Then there is nothing but water. It's rushing into my mouth and my nose. My eyes are still open but the current is tossing me around too much to see anything but water.

_How could this happen? I checked the rope. No! I forgot! The one time Jess isn't with me is the one time I don't check!_

My head hits something hard, probably a rock. I feel dizzy and I notice the water around me has swirls of red in it. I get thrashed around and I'm scared, because I can't breathe at all and I don't want to die.

I get pulled farther under water. Time seems to slow down and I start seeing things. People say when you're about to die you're entire life flashes before your eyes. But that's not what is happening to me...

I see the last time I saw Jess, with the rain dripping from his hair and his sad smile.

I see Easter when I went to church with Jess and May Belle. _What if May Belle's right and I'm going to Hell? No, God wouldn't do that._ But I don't have time to think because now...

I see the time Jess and I put a note in Janice Avery's desk.

I see day Jess came over to help paint the Gold Room in my house.

I see the time Jess got Prince Terrian for me. _I never needed a present, he was enough. But he didn't know that. And now he never will..._

I see the first time Jess and I came to Terabithia. _Oh, Terabithia, I hope your king doesn't abandon you after I..._

And finally I see the first day I met Jess. And that's all I see, nothing before that. Then I realize the reason why; that was the day I started really living_. What would I have done without you, Jess? I wouldn't have P.T. I wouldn't be friends with May Belle or Janice Avery. There would be no Terabithia. And I would be alone._

I break the water's surface for a moment. "Jess!" I scream but he's not here, he can't hear me. _Why is it that things fall apart when you need them most?_

I suddenly feel tired and like I can't fight any longer; the current is too strong. So I close my eyes and let the water take me, still holding the broken piece of rope. I'm not scared anymore, but I really wish Jess was here.

Just as I feel myself beginning to fade, I hear something. My eyes flutter open. "Jess? Jess! Help me!"

But it's not him, it's P.T. He's barking at me and making whining sounds as he races with me along the creek's edge.

At this point I'm feeling pretty dazed, but I manage to get out "P.T! Find help." Or at least I think I say that, because I can't hear P.T. anymore. I don't hear anything anymore. The last thought that enters my mind is...

_Goodbye, Jess Aarons._

******~theeShadyLady~**


	2. Not Crazy, Just Heartbroken

**_A/N- This is Chapter 2 of "Things Fall Apart," this is my favorite of the two chapters. _****Jess POV.**

**_((DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bridge to Terabithia.))_**

Chapter 2: _"Not Crazy, Just Heartbroken"_

People say you can feel it when someone you love dies. But not me, there was no shift in the air, no sudden thought of Leslie. I didn't feel anything. I was off at an art museum thinking I was having the best day... that is until I came home. But I still didn't feel anything then, I never felt her leave. How could that be? I loved her. I really did. And she never knew.

Or did she?

Her dad told me that she loved me. But what did he know? He didn't know her like I did. She was special. She was crazy, but in the best way. She was my best friend. And she still is, even now. Is that crazy? A twenty four year old man, who still thinks his best friend is a dead twelve year old girl? Of course it is. After all that's why my parents sent me away.

I was doing okay. I spent time with May Belle in Terabithia, even built her a bridge to get there. I went to school with Janice, the only other kid who noticed Leslie's absence. I accepted the looks of pity from the teachers without breaking down in front of them.

But all that ended when I turned sixteen and Terabithia wouldn't let me in. I had walked there with May Belle one day and there was just nothing. May Belle was talking to giants and I couldn't even see them.

That was the day my first nightmare came. It was of me at the edge of the creek, the bridge wasn't there, just a broken rope. And I could hear Leslie calling for me, sounding terrified. I could also hear P.T. barking. But I couldn't ever find either of them.

I had that dream every night for a month and every night I'd wake up screaming Leslie's name. Until finally my mother had had enough and she told my father that I had to go. I think he felt bad for me, but even he agreed that something had to be done.

First they sent me to a boarding school; which sent me back after only three weeks, because of all the complaints about my screaming. Then my parents sent me to a military school; that sent me back because I refused to get out of bed during the day and wouldn't go to sleep at night. So finally my parents got it right and sent me to a hospital for the insane (AKA the Looney Bin). And I was the perfect patient there. I did what they said, went to therapy, and took every pill they sent my way.

That went on for a year and half, which is when the hospital decided that I was fixed. (Which really meant: I was about to turn eighteen and my parents would stop paying for me to go there.) But that was alright because even though I could lie my way through the hours of therapy and the pills made my pain go away, I was still cold and lost inside.

When I got home my parents let me stay with them for a week, until they found me an apartment in town. They claimed it would be good for me, but really they didn't trust me around the rest of their children. May Belle cried, hugging me, saying she missed me and wanted me to stay, but they just ignored her and packed my things back into their car.

The apartment actually was alright, it was good to be alone for once. I never had guests, except for my mother coming to drop off groceries. My father insisted she bring them, because he knew I wasn't going to go and buy them myself. I didn't even have a job, I didn't want one.

For days I would lay on the floor, or the couch, or my bed trying not to think of Leslie. My mother confronted me about this once. Telling me it wasn't right for a grown boy to be still hung up on something that happened so long ago. I couldn't take that, I blew up on her.

If I am recalling correctly I believe my exact words were: "She's dead and I'm not. Right? No! Wrong. I'm dead too, I must be! She was everything to me and I left her. She was my only friend, don't you get that? I loved her! And I didn't even feel it when she left! I couldn't even tell the difference! I was supposed to be her best friend! And I wasn't there! It's my fault she's dead! It's MY fault! Now get out and don't EVER come back!"

And she didn't come back. But my dad did. He came twice. Once to drop off an art kit and even though I understood what he was trying to do, I wanted nothing to do with it. A few times I even considered throwing it away. But I never did and thank God I didn't.

Because after I accidentally let myself fall asleep and consequently woke up screaming Leslie's name, I angrily grabbed the art kit and started drawing. I didn't think about it while I scribbled down image after image, I just kept drawing until my dad walked through the door and found me sprawled out on the floor in a mess of paper and pencils.

"Jess," he said.

"What? What? What!" I replied with the crazed voice of a mad man.

"Jess, your drawings they're so..." I paused finally looking at my work. They were all of Leslie. I could feel myself shaking as I dropped the pencil I had been using.

"P-please, leave. Please." My father nodded as if he didn't think I had lost my mind and then left without any argument.

Three days later I received a call, actually several calls. My phone had been ringing half the day before I finally drug myself up off the floor to answer it.

"Hello!?" I growled. Nobody had bothered to call me since I had moved in and I didn't understand why someone would want to now.

"Jess Aarons?" a stranger's voice replied.

"Yes."

"I am calling on behalf of the Southern Art Board."

"The what?" I had asked shocked at what I was hearing. The stranger explained that my father had made calls to nearly every art gallery in the state trying to get someone to pay attention to him. Finally one of them did and they called the Board to ask them to look me up and see if I was worth their time; which is what she was doing now.

She then set up a time that same day to meet with me and come take a look at some of my work. I agreed and she was there within the hour. After apologizing countless times for my appearance and showing her my growing collection of art. She said she would like to buy them all and put them in a New Artist Gallery that the Board was opening for upcoming artists to gain popularity.

Two months later was the gallery opening which my father dragged me to and when I walked in I saw that I was the spotlight artist, so I was supposed to make a speech. But when I stood in front of the unimaginably large group of people wanting to hear about my art, my inspiration, and my pain; I could hardly handle it. I stumbled through the speech, even crying during parts, but the audience was intent and listened until I got out every word. After which, one guy offered to buy several of the paintings, which caused a bidding war between them. They were fighting, arguing over which of them wanted my Leslie more, and I couldn't take it. I walked as fast as I could to the back door. But I was caught by the woman from the Board who had bought my art pieces, she asked me if I had anymore that I would be willing to sell to the Board.

I did. And I sold them all to her for a sum of money that was more insane than I was. All except for one. The painting I made of Leslie of the last time I saw her; her hair dripping with rain while holding P.T., smiling, and telling me goodbye. And that painting of the last day of our life still hangs above the mantel in my house. The house I bought with a small part of that money. It was much too expensive, but I wouldn't take no for an answer. It's the Burke house or at least it was for less than a year. And that's where I have lived for the last six years (if you can even call it living).

I still can't fall asleep without waking up before the night is over crying out for Leslie. And I still can't go out and be around people, so I don't have any friends. My family doesn't visit me, except May Belle who has taken over the task of delivering my groceries. And this is where I'll stay. Until my sentence here on Earth is up and I can be with Leslie again. And I can finally tell her that I love her. That I always have and always will.

**~theeShadyLady~**


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